Sunak declines to back HS2 to North as Tory grandees warn of ‘gross act of vandalism’

Rishi Sunak has declined to back building HS2 to the North in the face of warnings by senior Tories that axing the line to Manchester would be a “gross act of vandalism”.

The prime minister is understood to be considering scrapping or delaying the leg of the high speed rail network from Birmingham to Manchester in response to soaring costs.

Former chancellor George Osborne and ex-deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine said the move would mean “abandoning” the North and Midlands.

Writing in The Times, they warned the prime minister: “Governments are remembered for what they build and create.

“Make this mistake and yours may only be known for what it cancelled and curtailed.”

If the northern section was cancelled, “the remaining stump, little more than a shuttle service from Birmingham to a London suburb, would become an international symbol of our decline”, they said.

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“The government should examine why other European countries have been able to build high-speed rail more cheaply, and bring the same review of planning for big energy infrastructure to transport projects that it is promising.

“That’s a sensible serious way forward; not the gross act of vandalism that cancelling HS2 would represent.”

The letter followed days of speculation about the fate of the northern line, with multiple reports suggesting a meeting between the prime minister and chancellor to make the final decision could happen before this weekend’s Conservative Party conference.

However, on Monday Mr Sunak refused to be drawn on the matter when asked how he could be committed to levelling up while considering rowing back on the rail project.

Speaking from a community centre in Hertfordshire, he said: “I’m not going to comment on that type of speculation. But what I would say is we’re absolutely committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity around the country, not just in the North but in the Midlands, in all other regions of our fantastic country.

“And transport infrastructure is a key part of that, not just big rail projects, but also local projects, improving local bus services, fixing pot holes, all of these things make a difference in people’s day-to-day lives.”

Pressed yes or no whether the Manchester leg will go ahead, Mr Sunak insisted: “This kind of speculation that people are making is not right. We’ve got spades in the ground, we’re getting on and delivering.”

Downing Street remained silent on the future of HS2 at lunchtime when asked repeatedly if the government was going to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester leg.

The prime minister’s official spokesman refused to comment on questions from journalists, saying: “Without getting into a specific project, I think the government has and will continue to have a good record about levelling up and driving growth in the north.”

The uncertainty has fuelled anger among leaders in Manchester, who have sent an “urgent” letter to the prime minister warning “the North of England should not have to pay for the government’s mismanagement of the HS2 budget”.

Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, and the city council leader, Cllr Bev Craig, are requesting a meeting with Mr Sunak as a “courtesy” before a decision is taken, in which they will state “in the strongest possible terms that HS2 should not be scrapped”.

HS2 is a multi-billion pound project is intended to “level up” the country by linking London, the Midlands and the North of England with faster trains – but it has been plagued by delays and soaring costs.

The first part, between London and Birmingham, is already being constructed – but it is still unclear if the final section between Old Oak Common in west London and the planned central destination in the capital at Euston will go ahead.

Cabinet minister Grant Shapps told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips show there could be a change to the “sequencing” and “pace” of HS2 from the government due to the soaring price tag.

“Money is not infinite,” said the former transport secretary, who is now in charge of the Ministry of Defence.

HS2 was first touted by Labour in 2009, but it was the coalition government that signed off the plan, designed to connected the South, Midlands and North of England with state-of-the-art infrastructure.

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Despite billions being poured into the project it has been beset by delays and rising costs – with the eastern leg scrapped entirely and work between Birmingham and Crewe delayed due to the impact of inflation.

Some estimates have put the total cost at over £100bn, while the project has been rated “unachievable” by the infrastructure watchdog.